Yeah, today is 3 years since the car accident. I remember after the accident I had nightmares every night for I don't know how long. During that time because of the nightmares, sleepless nights and the pain I was in, many night I wished I had just died in the accident instead. That could have been way better than the pain and everything I was going through.

But now the nightmares are gone, even if everything else remains.

I've got a bad headache that is going from my sinuses to the back of my neck right where my spine comes up.

I missed this, but I do get where you're coming from. I am approaching the 35 year of my shingles gunk. Even still I've never gone more than 3 maybe 4 months without sores. I have them really bad right now. I've often wondered if I'd have been better off if I died. I worried that my kids would hate me or resent me, but instead it helped turn them into empathetic little critters who are all in great positions to serve others. M is a counselor who works with very troubled monkeys, Q is well on his way to become a UMC minister and has spent the summer being Pastor Q at one othe biggest Christian Camp in NC. I think he has grown and learned so much this year and Lyd wants to be a teacher and is excited that she can study in Ireland this Fall. Oh I'm going to miss herWhich brings me to you Ms. Becky, I know we have had some up and downs, but I am so glad you didn't die in that accident. I wouldn't have had the honor to call you friend. You've touched me in many ways. In 2012, it was the first time in like 25 years that I didn't have to go into the hospital even once during that year. Then in February, I needed to go in, but struggled, feeling like I would have failed and given in to this stupid disease, but Becky simply said, "Seems to me that going to hospital to get medicine you need is fighting, not giving in!" I really wish you knew how much that meant to me. Becky. I have tears in my eyes now still when I think about it. When we hurt all the time it can be difficult to step outside of the pain and minister to others. I think that may be your gift Becky and I wish I could help you see that beautiful part of yourself. If you could get a job in the health care or at camp or some kind of a mission trip, even though it would be hard, scary, painful, and much more, God would reward you a thousand times over. Lyd really came back a changed person after her mission trip. Lots of time people see those trips as hard labor, building houses, cleaning up after disasters, but there are Missions of Peace which is what Lyd went to and she was so blessed. She often would call our house a dump, but after seeing people who literally lived in a dump, it made a change in her. You do have that type of heart Becky and you have made me a better person because of it. Hugs

Ms. Barbie wrote:I remember you, Chrissy! I was thinking about you awhile back!

Barb what are you doing in here? Out out out!! How can I expect to get my Sweet Shann is Sweetest in the land with you in here????? But I love ya and miss ya sooooo much I'll even step down as the self-appointed sweetest person around. (I waS THINKING OF electing Seema, but then she told me I wasn't allowed to pout in word so she lost that status. When I play with BusButt that's all I do is cheat...errr...pout, I meant pout. Seriously though here are some of Tim's words:isodanal, tideways, yags, fumed and those are some of the milder ones. I've yet to beat him though I've come close.

Now Jay on the other hand...I think that's why he doesn't come around as much. He's too embarrassed to be beat by me! I miss you though and I really miss Kara. I can't even text her anymore. Any volunteers to go to Thailand and drag her back? Becky I volunteer you and on the way you can grab Holly and Ivy too.Okay raise your hand if you can tell I'm sleep deprived>

Hey, I resemble that remark! I may not post very often but I'm a sporadic lurker. Every couple of days or so, I check out the forums and chime in if I feel so led.

Holly has abandoned ship so now you, Shann, can claim the title of her royal highness- the Queen of the Pacific Coast Rest-Stop.

Shann wrote:Hi Belle welcome to the Rest Stop where the wackiest people from Feel hang out. I'm an East Coast oddball because I live in the middle of nowhere way out in the rural part of Western By, south of Rochester and Buffalo. Last week it was pushing 100 and now it's in the 50s. No wonder I feel cruddy. Though I can't blame it on a cold. I have chronic shingles outbreaks. I've never gone more than 3 months between outbreaks in almost 25 years. I have lots of sores now so my lymph nodes are working double time. Though 2012 was the first year in 25 years that I didn't have to go in hospital. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea two years ago and actually almost died from it. I still shiver when I think how close it was. They called a full code my O2 sats were in low 30s when the nurse found me cold blue and unresponsive. But now I have CPAP things are better.

Where are you taking your writing class? It's hard because formal college or essay writing is so different from writing fiction. I've worked with people who were taught to never use contractions, and things like that.

Was it you who was trying to find a Christian college? My memory is horrible especially when I should be sleeping! So I'm scampering off for sure now!

Hi Shann,Wow -- glad you pulled through! I'm sorry you aren't able to sleep. That must be hard. I know I have trouble functioning when I don't get my zzzz. Great opportunity for prayer though.

I'm taking an online writing class through Berkeley. It's on Writing a Feature Article. Not exactly my first pick but definitely an opportunity to grow. I'm learning lots, making mistakes and plugging through it.

Hi guys, just a quick note to update you. Shann is in the hospital, so hopefully will get feeling better soon.

I've been horribly sick almost the whole week so far that I've been in Maryland. It doesn't really seem to be a flu or virus, but we're being really careful with my food allergies, so I'm at a complete loss as to what it is. I tend to have a lot of gut discomfort and that's been my weakest spot since birth, so that's where stress (physical stress from the flight and such) tends to hit me the hardest, but even so, it's very, very rare for me to get this sick and definitely not for this many days. I'll probably call a doctor tomorrow to see what they have to say.

It's still good to be here with Andy and his parents, but I've been spending way more time than I want either sick in bed or in the bathroom, and when we have been able to hangout then I'm still usually feeling pretty badly. Now he's crashing badly today, too, though not with what I have--with his regular stuff. But, that's our life and we didn't have any rosy visions, just were hoping it wouldn't be worst case scenario like it's turning out to be so far.

I did have one day I was feeling okay, and that miraculously was the day we'd planned to have several of Andy's friends over to play croquet and have a BBQ. It was great to get to meet some of his friends, especially his long-time friend since they were like 2 and 4. Here's a pic from that night.

I'll try to catch up with what ya'll have posted about yourselves when I can. Hugs and love to you all.

Sparrow wrote:Hi guys, just a quick note to update you. Shann is in the hospital, so hopefully will get feeling better soon.

I've been horribly sick almost the whole week so far that I've been in Maryland. It doesn't really seem to be a flu or virus, but we're being really careful with my food allergies, so I'm at a complete loss as to what it is. I tend to have a lot of gut discomfort and that's been my weakest spot since birth, so that's where stress (physical stress from the flight and such) tends to hit me the hardest, but even so, it's very, very rare for me to get this sick and definitely not for this many days. I'll probably call a doctor tomorrow to see what they have to say.

I'll try to catch up with what ya'll have posted about yourselves when I can. Hugs and love to you all.

Praying for Shann.

You sound a little disappointed in yourself, or rather your health. I think it's meraculous how you get through and what you achieve. Keep going. Keep believing. Keep trusting for better things.

Chrissy!!!!!!! Of course I remember you! I even put you in one of my FW stories way back during the colors Challenge. Good to see you again.

Amy, will be praying for you and Shann. Sucks that you both keep hitting sickness walls. Thankfully we only have to deal with these bodies for a short time, compared to eternity.

It's been a busy week. Was super wiped out by work all weekend, and then Ryan and I have been doing stuff every day since. We went to the local family fun center on Tuesday, the fair on Wednesday, and then Thursday I was on Facebook all day trying to say thank you to everyone for birthday wishes. Last year I couldn't see all the individual posts, so this year I kept on top of it so I could read them all. I also got a massage, saw my chiropractor, did the WW meeting, and ended with Denny's for my free grand slam meal. Today we're going to chill, and I'm hoping to sleep in before working all weekend again.

I didn't enter the Challenge this week but hopefully I can squeeze it in for next. I wonder how many will try free verse poetry after Jan's lesson?

Sounds like everyone else is busy too. Remember when we were kids, and summers were so slow? Seems the opposite now.